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Unproven Wisconsin Badgers Wide Receivers Are Under Most Pressure To Step Up, With New Faces and a New Coach

No position on the Wisconsin Badgers roster has more to prove in 2026 than the wide receivers, who have seen massive turnover from top to bottom.
Lorin Cox|
Wisconsin Badgers wide receiver Chris Brooks Jr. (1) is tackled by Maryland Terrapins linebacker Trey Reddick (3) during the third quarter at Camp Randall Stadium.
Wisconsin Badgers wide receiver Chris Brooks Jr. (1) is tackled by Maryland Terrapins linebacker Trey Reddick (3) during the third quarter at Camp Randall Stadium. | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

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Wisconsin Badgers

No position on the Wisconsin Badgers roster has more to prove in 2026 than the wide receivers, who have seen massive turnover from top to bottom.

The pressure was racheted up on Sunday, when wide receivers coach Jordan Reid left to take a coaching job in the NFL with the Atlanta Falcons.

Wisconsin was fortunate to have Reid long enough to guide the Badgers through a critical winter of transition, where three receivers left through the transfer portal and three others graduated.

He was also pivotal in retaining rising sophomore Eugene Hilton Jr., who entered the portal but chose to return to the school.

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In response to the departures, Wisconsin signed three true freshman receivers in the 2026 recruiting class and added five new receivers in the transfer portal.

This group, along with a handful of returning players from 2025, have to give the Badgers significantly more play-making than they saw last fall.

Much of the lack of receiving production was because of injuries and poor performances at quarterback, but Wisconsin did not have a wide receiver reach 100 receiving yards in any individual game this season.

Vinny Anthony had 97 yards against Michigan and 92 against Minnesota. Tight end Lance Mason was the lone Badgers player to hit triple digits in receiving yards in Week 2 against Middle Tennessee State.

Unproven replacements but high potential

The group of wide receivers coming in to boost that production are largely unproven and need to take their game to the next level in 2026.

The newcomer with the most impressive numbers last season is Jaylon Domingeaux, who put up 52 catches for 857 yards and 11 touchdowns.

That came at the FCS level, though, for his previous team at Southeastern Louisiana. In theory, his skillset should translate to the Big Ten, but he still has to prove it.

The most experienced Power 5 receiver coming in is Shemar Rigby from Oklahoma State, who had 25 catches for 351 yards a touchdown last year.

He produced more than any Badgers wide receiver besides Anthony last season, but those numbers won't be good enough in 2026.

Related: Wisconsin Badgers Appear to Be Moving Fourth-Year Tight End to Wide Receiver For 2026

Wisconsin's only returning receivers with notable production are the aforementioned Hilton, Chris Brooks and Tyrell Henry.

Hilton has a lot of promise as a highly-touted recruit. His eight catches for 91 yards last season were nice flashes, but he needs to prove he can win consistently in a bigger role.

Brooks has 12 catches for 151 yards in his entire Wisconsin career, but he has earned playing time for his consistent blocking at the receiver position.

Henry flashed some production early in his collegiate career at Michigan State, but since transfering to UW, he has six catches for 41 yards in two seasons.

The Badgers are counting on all of these new faces creating a competition that produces multiple quality starting wide receviers.

WR coach Jordan Reid did a nice job of assembling them, but his replacement will have the tougher task of molding them into consistent play-makers for new quarterback Colton Joseph.

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Lorin Cox
LORIN COX

Lorin Cox is the managing editor of Wisconsin Badgers on SI. He has been covering Badgers sports since 2014, when he was an undergraduate at the University of Wisconsin. He previously wrote for the Wisconsin State Journal, NBC Sports Chicago and USA Today Sports Media Group, and he is a former analyst for Pro Football Focus.

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